Bowing in the same year Bond was saving the world
from total destruction in Thunderball, bespectacled Harry, more modestly engaged
in slowing the brain drain of British scientists, immediately endeared himself
to average blokes. Harry Palmer is forever enshrined as the credible everyman
alternative to Bond. In conception and in Caine's performance he was a fantasy
figure for guys who wear glasses, people living in anonymous flats, driving
unglamorous, functional cars and shopping for groceries after work. You can
relate to Harry Palmer. He's capable and crafty. He's sexy. And he can cook.

Bond's fabulous world is one of exotic locations, babes, stupendous stunts,
ingenious gadgets and gizmos. It is rich with explosively lavish underground
lairs of megalomaniacal masterminds with whom 007 contends when he isn't between
the sheets, behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or BMW, in a casino or relaxing
with a vodka martini. Palmer's world is surveillance shifts in a grotty attic,
furtive shenanigans in British Rail stations, the rendezvous on park benches, an
HQ disguised as a domestic employment bureau, and a villains' lair in a disused
warehouse. Harry drinks whiskey, plays the horses, is issued the keys to a
boring blue Zodiac that doesn't do anything except go, and he is the first
swinging London bachelor to be seen grinding his own coffee.

NOTE: The below
Blu-ray
captures were ripped directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.

NOTE: I can confirm that the ITV
Blu-ray
is region free and will play on
Blu-ray machines worldwide.

There are two major problems with the Network DVD image - the first is
the obvious contrast boosting (badly blown out whites) and the second,
perhaps even more unsightly, is that it appears to
have been vertically compressed - with faces, especially noticeable, appearing
quite distorted and unnatural (harder to distinguish at times due to the many obtuse
camera angles used in the film.) The single-layered Blu-ray
is hardly stellar but looks quite remarkable beside the standard-def image.
Colors are more true and detail a fairly big leap in improvement but
there is still some noise while grain is not wholly as visible as some
might appreciate. Still, visually this is easily the best digital
representation of The Ipcress File - a wonderfully 'real' spy
drama. Contrast is also not pristine but significantly improves upon the dual-layered
DVD
release. The Blu-ray
leans to a soft palette but looks far more faithful in my opinion.

Audio-wise the
DVD's mono was quite strong and the
Blu-ray
has an undemonstrative 5.1 bump and a 2.0 channel option as well. This
is not as action-infused (especially the first 2/3rds of the film) as a
typical genre example but there is a
bit of separation and subtleties. I wouldn't say the 2.0 channel is an overly-obvious superiority
over the fine SD mono but enthusiasts who prefer (fake) bumps have the
option to indulge in the surround. The Network as no subtitles offered
where the ITV Blu-ray
has removable English.

Extras are where the DVD vaults to a big advantage - not
enough to forgive the feature image quality but certainly for some, especially Caine fans, to consider double-dipping.
I really enjoyed the commentary track with director Sidney J. Furie and
editor Peter Hunt (of James Bond fame.) Canadian Furie is not afraid to
voice his displeasure with Ipcress Producer Harry Saltzman (also
of Bond fame) and Hunt backs him up quite a bit. They don't follow much of
what is transpiring onscreen but have a lovely chat reminiscing with a
few choice anecdotes. Disc one of the DVD also offers a short theatrical
trailer. We then get a second DVD disc with a 21 minute interview with
Michael Caine and another with production designer Sir Ken Adam for 10
minutes. There is an amusing spoof with a 'Michael Caine Goes 'Stella'
- Comedy Sketch by Phil Cornwell running just under 5 minutes and
Candid Caine - a 45 minute 'Self Portrait' documentary made in 1969.
The DVD is capped off by some crisp US radio spots and a huge stills
gallery. The Blu-ray
only has an HD Photo Gallery and HD trailer (both playable on any Blu-ray
machine).

Great film - solid and pure spy drama devoid of the
silliness that we see caked on in all Hollywood productions - give me
this over Quantum of Solace any day of the week. So
the
Blu-ray is definitely the best way to go for home viewing
but the DVD has some great extras. Both releases are reasonable and have
some merit - I endorse the Blu-ray and for those keen on supplements -
the DVD is more than worth the money in my opinion.